Member Login

Want full access to MedEdWorld?

News

AAMC - Raising the Profile of Social Science in Medical Education

Summary:

In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Khan Academy, the AAMC developed free lessons covering content in Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behaviour and all other sections of the MCAT exam.

Article:

"To be successful [as a physician] in this era requires mastery of core scientific principles in psychology and social sciences."
- Catherine Lucey, MD. UCSF School of Medicine
________________________________________________________
There’s more to being a physician than memorizing biology textbooks or knowing when to order a scan. Recognizing that a background in psychology and sociology is as critical to delivering effective, equitable health care as understanding biology, the AAMC rolled out a new MCAT® exam in 2015 to assess a medical school applicant’s knowledge about behavioral and social sciences. The Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior (PSBB) section was added to the MCAT with equal scoring weight to other portions of the exam.

The PSBB section of the MCAT exam requires an understanding of cultural and social differences, social stratification and access to resources, and factors that influence communication and behavior. Admissions committees determine how their institutions will evaluate performance on the PSBB section of the MCAT exam, just as they do other admissions requirements. In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Khan Academy, the AAMC developed free lessons covering content in PSBB and all other sections of the MCAT exam.